Download NEWS COLUMN April 8, 2012 RE: FCS FROM: KIM MILES EGG

NEWS COLUMN
RE: FCS
FROM: KIM MILES
April 8, 2012
EGG-CITING NEWS ABOUT EGGS
Happy Easter! When you think of Easter, you probably also think of eggs. Eggs are great
for eating, coloring and hunting at Easter time. Eggs are also affordable and very nutritious.
Let’s take a look at the egg and find out more interesting facts:
* About 280 million laying hens produce some 60 billion eggs each year in the United States.
* White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled
eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes. There is no difference in taste or
nutrition between white and brown eggs.
* During the packing process, eggs are separated by size. Minimum weights per dozen are :
Jumbo (30 oz.), Extra Large (27 oz.), Large (24 oz.), Medium (21 oz.), small (18 oz.), and Pee
Wee (15 oz.).
* As a hen grows older she produces larger eggs.
* Did you know a mother hen turns over her egg about fifty times per day (so the yolk won't
stick to the sides of the shell)?
* The egg shell may have as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface. Through them, the egg
can absorb flavors and odors. Storing eggs in the carton helps keep them fresh.
* Eggs are placed in their cartons large end up to keep the air cell in place and the yolk centered.
* Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator.
* Eggs can be kept refrigerated in their carton for at least 4 to 5 weeks beyond the pack date.
* A hard-cooked egg will peel more easily if it is a week or two old before it is cooked.
* To tell if an egg is raw or hard-cooked, spin it! If the egg spins easily, it is hard-cooked but if it
wobbles, it is raw.
* If an egg is accidentally dropped on the floor, sprinkle it heavily with salt for easy clean up.
* In cooking, eggs are "the cement that holds the castle of cuisine together" because of their
ability to bind, leaven, thicken, emulsify, clarify, and more in all types of recipes.
* The egg yolk and white separate best when cold.
* Egg whites will beat to a better volume if they're allowed to stand at room temperature for 20
to 30 minutes before whipping.
* The stringy piece of material in the egg is not an embryo but rather a special protein called
chalazae which acts as a shock absorber for the yolk so it doesn't break.
* Eggs contain the highest quality protein you can buy. Egg protein has just the right mix of
essential amino acids needed by humans to build tissues. It is second only to mother's milk for
human nutrition. In addition, eggs have thirteen essential vitamins and minerals.
* Egg yolk is the major source of the egg’s vitamins and minerals.
* A large egg contains only 70 calories and 5 grams of fat.
* Egg yolks are one of the few foods that are naturally a good source of Vitamin D.
* Eggs have no vitamin C because the chick can produce it from food it eats.